Don't Take Your Eyes Off Me
by LovedLik3WildFire
Summary: Henry and Jo find themselves in an unusual situation. How do the two react to being stuck together? In a way that surprises them both...and what a lovely surprise it is.


It was days like this that made Jo wish her job was a little easier. Long ago, she had come to terms with the fact that evil was in the world. She saw it all around her; particularly, in the cases she worked on. But when evil stooped so low as to hurt a child, it made Jo's heart ache with sadness and burn with anger.

Wednesday morning had come and gone, and much to everyone's surprise, there wasn't a big case yet. No sorting through evidence. No questioning suspects. It was a simple, filling out paperwork kind of morning. Everyone had decided to take lunch out, at one of their favorite restaurants. Jo was thrilled everyone had decided to come, even Lieutenant Reece. So, when Reece's phone rang, she never expected to receive such news.

An elderly woman had called into the station, complaining about her neighbors. Again. They usually had someone else deal with people like this, but when they heard her explanation, someone contacted the Lieutenant right away. The woman had said the neighbors upstairs were fighting again, and someone needed to stop it. So, she decided - since the police were dragging their feet - she would do take matters into her own hands. When she reached the landing to the top floor, the screaming had stopped, filling the building with an eerie silence. The woman decided to press on anyway, just to be sure they were truly finished. What she found was horrible.

The door to the couple's apartment was open slightly, leaving the elderly woman just enough room to peek inside. On the floor lay three bodies; one young woman around twenty-five and two small children. Blood pooled around them, staining everything from the clothing on their backs to the old, beige carpet. The stench of death hung in the air like thick fog, causing the elderly woman to become lightheaded. It was a miracle she made it back to her apartment to phone for help.

Jo hated cases involving children. Who would lose their compassion to such a degree as to decide a child should be their victim? It made her sick to think someone was out there who was capable of such horrors. But Jo wasn't the only one phased by this new found case. Henry had been affected too.

She had gone down to the morgue to see if he had found anything when she heard it. Singing. The sound was surprising, especially in a place of such sorrow. Soft tenor notes tickled at her ears, and she leaned in to listen. Taking a few steps closer, Jo peeked around the corner to find the source of the sound. Henry stood, with one of the children on the table, simply staring, as if the child were merely asleep. It was his voice making those beautiful sounds. She leaned up against the wall, careful not to be seen, and simply listened.

He was singing in a language she didn't recognize. German, maybe? Even though she wasn't able to detect the language, Jo recognized the tune. Much to her surprise, she felt tears form at the corner of her eyes as she realized what he was singing. Henry was singing a lullaby.

She had never seen him like this before. It was as if he were singing to his own child, doing his very best to soothe and comfort them for the night ahead. The sight was precious, and Jo didn't want to ruin it, so she slowly stepped back and made her way upstairs again. Hanson met her on the stairs landing.

"I was just coming down to see what you guys found so far."

Jo hesitated slightly. "Oh, well, he hasn't started the autopsies yet. I'll go back down in an hour or so."

"Oh." Hanson said, pausing. "You okay?"

She nodded and walked back over to her desk, ignoring his puzzled look. There Jo remained for the duration of her day, never going back down to the morgue. The pain in her heart for those children was not the only pain in the precinct. If Henry had something to tell her about the case, he certainly would. Until, she would wait here and finish the paperwork that needed finishing.

* * *

Henry was incredibly thankful the day was over. It had started out quite slow, which was never something he enjoyed, but it had picked up, and that was worse. The two children and their mother in the morgue had plagued his thoughts the entire afternoon, and into the evening. He saw death almost everyday, but he could never understand the death of children; especially when that death was on purpose.

"I'm leaving, Doc."

Henry looked up from his desk to see Lucas standing in the doorway. He was out of his work clothing and in jeans and a t-shirt, with some weird symbols on the front. "Okay, Lucas. Have a good night."

He hesitated in the doorway for another moment, before speaking. "Are you staying late again?"

Looking up at the clock, he shook his head. "Not tonight. I've had enough of work for today."

Much to his relief, Lucas didn't ask Henry to go anywhere tonight. Henry didn't want to have to make an excuse as to why he couldn't go. Instead, Lucas simply turned and walked out of the morgue.

Rising from his chair, Henry stretched his tired muscles. Thoughts of dinner flooded his mind, and part of him hoped Abe had made Abigail's lasagna again tonight. He could use a hearty meal to push away the cares of the day. Without lingering in his office too long, he grabbed his goat, slipped it on and made his way to the elevator. It took longer than he would have liked to arrive, but as the doors slid open, Henry found an unexpected face. Jo smiled softly at him, and moved over to prepare a space for him to stand.

"Evening, Henry."

He nodded. "Detective." There was an usual pause between them. "Did you need something?"

She shook her head. "I just came down to see if you were still here. It's been a long day."

"Yes, it has."

Silence fell between them again and Henry didn't know what to make of it. Normally, when in Jo's presence, there was a comfortable silence between them. They didn't need to speak; one another's company was enough. But now, as the elevator began to rise, the silence was thick with something he couldn't make out. It was awkward and unusual, much like that of two teenagers who were unfamiliar with one another.

After a few more moments, Henry decided he was going to get to the bottom of this. He opened his mouth to speak when the elevator jerked slightly, making an groaning sound. Seconds after, the lights flickered out and were replaced with lights that glowed a deep purple.

They were stuck.

"Just when I thought I would be home in time for dinner," Henry said aloud to no one in particular. Looking around for the emergency phone, he found it below the panel of buttons. He opened the little door concealing it, only to find there wasn't a phone installed.

"Hmm..." He said softly, examining the rest of the elevator. "It would be seem we're stuck, Detective."

But Jo Martinez wasn't listening to her partner. Instead, she was standing in the corner of the elevator, gripping the railing as if her life depended on it. Because nothing scared her more than being trapped in an elevator.

* * *

Jo had wanted to break the awkward silence between Henry and herself, just as much as he had. But as soon as the groan of the elevator reached her ears, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Like staying calm.

One of Detective Martinez's worst fears was being trapped in an elevator. When she was a little girl, she wouldn't even get on an elevator. It took her mother years to convince her little girl all was safe, but even then, Jo was afraid. As she grew older, the fear slowly ebbed away, turning into a mild concern. Now, as she stood in the corner, cutting the circulation from her hands, the fear came rushing back with full force. Thankfully, Henry didn't notice.

At least, not right away.

* * *

Henry didn't notice Jo right away, but when he did, his heart ached. There she stood in the corner, looking like a frightened child. Her hands were beet red from clutching the railing so tightly, and her eyes were wild with fear. It didn't take him long to discover her fear of being trapped in an elevator. The look was similar to one he saw in himself, when Abigail had disappeared.

"Jo," He said softly, trying not to startle her.

She looked up at him quickly, before returning her eyes to the floor. It looked like she wanted to respond, but the words were caught in her throat, blocked by the fear inside.

Taking a few steps forward, Henry placed himself directly in front of her. "Jo. Look at me."

Jo's eyes shifted upward again, and this time, they glistened with unshed tears. "I...I'm so sorry...Henry."

A gentle smile formed on his face. "You have nothing to be sorry about; this is completely normal. There are thousands of people in the world with this fear, and it's perfectly alright to..." His voice trailed off as he realized what he was doing. Jo didn't need a lecture on the population and it's various fears. She needed someone to be there for her; to walk with her through her fears. But how could he do that? Several ideas popped into his mind, all of which were too intimate for his taste. Jo Martinez was his friend, and he didn't want to ruin that. Yet as he watched a tear trickle down her face, he knew what he needed to do.

"If you don't let go of the railing, Jo," He said calmly. "Your hand is going to cramp quite badly."

"I can't let go," She said quickly, as if her words could cause the entire room to collapse.

"Yes, you can." Henry responded, holding out his hand. "Take my hand, and don't take your eyes off me. You can do this, Jo; I promise."

Jo didn't move for quite some time, and Henry was certain she wouldn't take his offer of help. Just then, he watched her right hand slowly move from the railing. The movement was meticulous at first, and then rushed. Henry met her halfway, clutching her hand. She laughed once, as if surprised by what she had just accomplished.

"Now the other one," He said, smiling. "You're doing beautifully."

She looked up at him, and smiled, before slowly moving her left hand. This time, he didn't need to meet her halfway. Jo placed her hand in his and took a deep breath. She had done it, and much to Henry's surprise, he liked the way her hand felt in his. Her hand was soft; much softer than he expected.

"Henry," Jo said suddenly, her voice shaking with fear again.

"What is it?"

"I...ummm...my legs are shaking."

He looked down and found her statement to be true. The fabric of her pants moved slightly, indicating her legs were shaking. If she kept shaking as she was, he was certain she would fall over.

Looking back up at her, Henry did the only thing he could think of. Moving over to the wall, he leaned against it and in one fluid motion, he pulled her toward him. Jo didn't protest or make a comment about the decision, but simply leaned into him, burying her face in his chest. Abigail's face flashed through his mind for a moment, and he felt a pang of guilt. The last time he was this tender with a woman was with her. What would she say, seeing him with Jo like this?

She would say, "it's about time."

A smile formed on his face as he heard Abraham's voice in his head. Abe became Henry's rock when Abigail's had disappeared, and he always pointed him toward reason. Even though the words were not exactly his son's, he knew they were true. Abigail wouldn't want him to remain so closed off that he never let his guard down. This made Henry relax a little, causing his arms to instinctively hold Jo tighter.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked.

She nodded once, but didn't look up at him. That told him she still wasn't out of the woods. The truth was she needed a big breath of fresh air, and she wouldn't get it in here. Henry's protective arms would just have to do.

"Henry?"

"Hm?"

Jo hesitated slightly, before pulling back to look up at him. "You never told me you could sing."

He looked at her, confused for a moment. Recollections of this afternoon in the morgue flashed through his mind, and he felt his cheeks get warm. Henry rarely sang, especially when someone was there to listen. Abigail always told him he had a beautiful voice, but something inside of him refused to believe it. Now, here stood Jo, peeling back another layer of who he was.

"I didn't realize anyone was listening."

She smiled softly, giving him her signature look. "It would seem I've discovered another hidden part of Henry Morgan."

He laughed. "It would seem so. How long were you standing there?"

"Just a few minutes. What language was that?

"Dutch."

"You know Dutch?" She said, sounding more surprised.

Henry laughed again, this time louder. "You need not look so astonished, Detective. Many people know more than one language."

Now her cheeks began to warm. "Oh. No, I didn't mean..."

"Jo," He said pausing. "Relax. I wouldn't expect you to know that. In fact, I wouldn't expect you to know that I speak several languages fluently."

"But why Dutch?"

"The children were Dutch."

The conversation drifted off from there, leaving them both in silence. Henry didn't mind though. He enjoyed silence; especially in the company of a friend. The word friend echoed in his mind, and as he looked down at Jo in his arms, the term didn't seem to fit. As he said before, he enjoyed working with Jo and hated to lose that. But as they stood there together, thoughts of something more began to form. There were very few people Henry would open his heart to, as per experience. Abigail's acceptance of him was a gift beyond words of thanks. Could he truly expect the gift a second time? And if he did receive the gift again, would he have the courage to open it?

* * *

Jo found her mind incredibly preoccupied as Henry held her. She was certain his intentions were simply to calm her down. Did he realize, though, how calm he made her? The fear of being in this elevator had taken a backseat to the emotions swirling inside her. No man had held her like this since her husband. Jo had felt nothing but safe in Sean's arms, and never expected to feel that safe again. Yet, as she felt Henry tighten his arms around her, the same sensation of safety flooded her soul.

Suddenly, the tenor notes from this afternoon began to swirl around her. Jo dare not look up, for fear of embarrassing Henry. But she wanted to see his face. When she had asked about his singing, she felt him tense slightly, and she realized she hit a nerve. Many people didn't like singing in front of others, and Jo suspected her partner was one of them. So, to hear him singing now was quite the surprise.

Jo didn't recognize the tune right away. It took her a few minutes to figure out where she heard it from, but when she did, tears tickled at the corners of her eyes. Henry was singing in Dutch again, but this time he moved from a lullaby to something very different. How he knew it was her grandparent's favorite song was beyond her, but it didn't really matter. The song calmed her even more (if that were possible).

The song finally ended, and Jo couldn't resist it any longer. Looking up at him, she smiled widely. "How did you know I loved that song?"

Henry looked slightly startled, but quickly recovered. "It was the first song that popped into my mind, to be honest. It's a favorite of mine."

"My grandparent's loved 'I'll Be Seeing You,'" Jo said, pausing to remember the last time she saw them dance to it. She opened her mouth to speak again when suddenly the elevator came to life. The soft purple lighting was replaced with harsh white light, and Jo could feel the ground move beneath her feet as they drifted upwards.

* * *

Henry had no idea why he chose the song he did. In fact, he wasn't sure why he started singing in the first place. But the words appeared in his mind, and his voice quickly followed. Even though singing in front of anyone - especially someone like Jo - was something he didn't enjoy, as the words drifted through the air, he felt himself relaxing. Much to Henry's surprise, he felt Jo relaxing as well. There was no doubt in his mind now; she would be okay, whether they stayed in the elevator for a moment or a thousand years.

As if on cue, the white lights they had been missing came flickering back on. He steadied himself as the elevator came to life, moving them up to the rest of the world. Though they were minutes from going their separate ways, neither of them moved. Jo remained with her arms around his waist, head on his chest. Henry didn't want to break the moment, but he knew when those doors opened, people would be watching.

"We're almost there," He said, softly.

Jo looked up at him, and he watched her face flush slightly. "Right."

The air of unease filled the space around them again, sending a pang of regret through his heart. What would it have been to simply remain as they were, as the doors opened slowly? Yes, people would see them standing there together, holding one another. And yes, people would talk, but what would it matter? Let them talk.

These thoughts began to startle Henry so much that he instinctively took a step away from Jo, releasing his grasp on her. He noticed something flash across her eyes. Disappointment? As quickly as it appeared, it vanished as the doors of the elevator opened. Just as he predicted, there was quite a crowd growing. Hanson and Lucas were the first faces he saw.

"We thought you guys were going to be stuck in there forever!" Lucas said in his quirky way.

Henry laughed, but it was stiff...fake. His eyes quickly jumped to Jo's face and saw her cheeks begin to redden slightly. Immediately, he said the first thing that popped into his mind, to avoid anyone noticing. "How long were we in there?"

Lieutenant Reece appeared from behind someone, and smiled. "I'd say around 20 minutes or so."

He nodded, letting the comments and concerns of those around him wash over the silence. The talking only lasted ten minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. All Henry wanted to do was begin his journey home, and ponder what happened in that small space. Finally, after everyone went their respective ways, it was only the Lieutenant, Jo, and himself standing there.

"You two should go home and get some rest," She said firmly. "It's been quite a day."

Both Henry and Jo nodded silently, and he was certain he saw something in the Lieutenant's face that wasn't there before. Their 20 minutes in the elevator couldn't have changed their relationship that drastically to have their boss notice, could it? Unfortunately, he was too scared to ask, and simply watched her walk away.

"Henry."

He turned toward Jo. "Yes."

Her eyes softened. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," The words were out of his mouth before he could do anything about it.

Jo smirked before reaching for his hand, giving it a squeeze, and walking away. Henry watched until she turned the corner. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep the smile from forming on his face.

And in the midst of all the reasons why he shouldn't, Henry Morgan fell in love with Jo Martinez.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this little one-shot of Henry and Jo. It was really fun to write. :) **

**The song Henry sang to Jo, "I'll Be Seeing You," is the version by Billie Holiday. If you're not familiar with it, I suggest hitting up YouTube and taking a listen. **

**Lastly...that latest episode?! Did anyone else fangirl when Jo said she didn't want to go to Paris with what's-his-name? I know I sure did. I really thought we were going to get a mini profession of Jo's love for Henry. Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see. **


End file.
